Case Study

Medicana Performance Marketing Success Story

Paid Search - Lead: +51.5% Increase / Paid New User: +33,8% Increase

Medicana Performance Marketing Success Story

1. Executive Summary & Overview

Founded in 1992, Medicana Health Group (medicana.com.tr) is one of Turkey's largest and most advanced private healthcare providers, operating 16 multidisciplinary hospital campuses across 7 major metropolitan provinces (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Konya, Samsun, Sivas, and Bursa). Treating over 5.5 million domestic and international patients annually, Medicana provides world-class specialized care across oncology, organ transplantation, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

Medicana partnered with Zeo to optimize its nationwide digital performance marketing operations across Google Ads, Paid Search, and Performance Max channels. By deploying granular medical specialty segmentation, local hospital branch location targeting, and strict regulatory compliance workflows, the engagement delivered a +51.5% increase in qualified patient appointment leads and a +33.8% surge in paid search new patient acquisition.

2. Challenge & Market Context

Healthcare performance marketing is governed by strict regulatory frameworks and extreme bidding competition:

  • Strict Ministry of Health Advertising Regulations: Healthcare advertising in Turkey is strictly regulated; promotional claims, discounts, or misleading medical promises are prohibited, requiring precise, informative ad copies.
  • Hyper-Competitive Medical Specialty Bidding Wars: Competing against national hospital conglomerates (Acıbadem, Memorial, Medical Park) on high-value medical keywords ("tüp bebek merkezi", "onkoloji hastanesi", "organ nakli").
  • Multi-Location Hospital Network Governance: Managing localized advertising budgets, doctor schedules, and appointment capacities across 16 hospitals in 7 provinces simultaneously.
  • Complex Patient Decision Journeys: Medical treatments involve deep emotional anxiety and high consideration, demanding authoritative, empathetic ad copy.

3. Objectives & KPI Targets

The strategic medical performance marketing roadmap established clear operational milestones:

  • Lead Generation Acceleration: Increase verified online doctor appointment bookings and consultation requests by +45% YoY.
  • Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) Optimization: Lower patient acquisition costs across high-value surgical and oncology specialties through smart bidding.
  • New Hospital Launch Scaling: Drive immediate patient footfall and appointment volume for newly opened regional hospital campuses.
  • Local Hospital Branch Extensions: Deploy 100% compliant localized Google Ads call, location, and sitelink extensions across all 16 facilities.

4. Strategy & Innovation

Zeo engineered a compliant, multi-branch medical performance marketing framework:

  • Medical Specialty & Intent Granular Segmentation: Structured Google Ads campaigns into dedicated clinical silos (Cardiology, IVF, Oncology, Orthopedics, Aesthetics, General Surgery) paired with local branch geofencing.
  • Smart Bidding & Target CPA Scaling: Deployed Google Smart Bidding algorithms (Target CPA and Maximize Conversions) aligned with real-time hospital appointment booking values.
  • Local Hospital Extension & Call Ads Optimization: Connected Google Business Profile locations with Google Ads assets, capturing instant click-to-call mobile patient inquiries.

5. Execution & Implementation Breakdown

  • Phase 1 — Account Restructuring & Regulatory Hygiene:
    • Re-architected Google Ads account structure into city, branch, and specialty-level campaign silos.
    • Implemented negative keyword filtering to eliminate irrelevant medical symptom queries and prevent wasted ad spend.
  • Phase 2 — Multi-Variant Creative & Doctor Profile Testing:
    • Tested informative ad headlines highlighting academic doctor credentials, hospital technology, and international JCI accreditations.
    • Implemented responsive search ads tailored for mobile emergency and urgent appointment searches.
  • Phase 3 — New Branch Launch & Performance Max Scaling:
    • Executed targeted high-impact launch campaigns for new hospital openings in Izmir and Istanbul.

6. Results & Quantifiable Business Impact

The strategic healthcare performance marketing program delivered exceptional patient acquisition metrics:

  • +51.5% Increase in Qualified Patient Leads: Record expansion in online doctor appointment bookings and hospital consultation calls.
  • +33.8% Growth in Paid Search New Patients: Scaled patient acquisition efficiently across core medical specialties.
  • Significant CPL Reductions: Lowered average cost per qualified appointment across oncology and cardiovascular specialties.
  • Flawless Regulatory Compliance: Maintained unbroken adherence to Ministry of Health advertising guidelines.

7. Awards & Industry Recognition

The campaign was celebrated as an outstanding healthcare digital marketing achievement:

  • European Search Awards: Shortlisted — Best Use of Search - Healthcare (PPC)
  • MENA Search Awards: Shortlisted — Best Healthcare Campaign

8. Methodology & Strategic Key Takeaways

  • Medical Advertising Demands Strict Regulatory Precision: Informative, doctor-credentialed ad copies outperform aggressive promotional claims while ensuring compliance.
  • Hyper-Local Geofencing Maximizes Hospital ROI: Targeting ad delivery to specific hospital catchment areas ensures patients are routed to the nearest accessible branch.
  • Smart Bidding Requires Real-Time Appointment Signals: Feeding verified patient appointment values into bidding algorithms dramatically lowers acquisition costs.